10 EFFECTIVE TIPS IN DEALING WITH STRESS

Follow our simple tips to help manage and reduce your stress levels.

To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude and excuses.  

Here are the simple but powerful ways to deal with stress;

1. Identify the Sources of Stress in your Life

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. While it’s easy to identify major stressors such as changing jobs, moving, or a going through a divorce, pinpointing the sources of chronic stress can be more complicated. 

It’s all too easy to overlook how your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours contribute to your everyday stress levels. Sure, you may know that you’re constantly worried about work deadlines, but maybe it’s your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that is causing the stress.

Do you make up excuses for your stress? 

“I just have a million things going on right now”  even though you can’t remember the last time you took a breather?

Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life 

“Things are always crazy around here” 

Or do you see stress as a part of your personality 

“I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all”

Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?

 "Start a stress journal"

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down:
What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure)
How you felt, both physically and emotionally
How you acted in response
What you did to make yourself feel better

2. Eat well, avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Nicotine.

Avoid, or at least reduce, your consumption of nicotine and any drinks containing caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and so will increase your level of stress rather than reduce it.

Alcohol is a depressant when taken in large quantities, but acts as a stimulant in smaller quantities. Therefore, using alcohol as a way to alleviate stress is not ultimately helpful.

Swap caffeinated and alcoholic drinks for water, herbal teas, or natural fruit juices and aim to keep yourself hydrated as this will enable your body to cope better with stress.

People who eat mostly junk food have highs and lows in their energy level, which harms their ability to reduce stress. You should also aim to avoid or reduce your intake of refined sugars, instead eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—they keep you focused for a longer time. In general, try to eat a healthy, well-balanced and nutritious diet.

3. Start an Exercise Program

Exercise is the most important part of a plan to manage stress. Exercise every day to control stress and build a strong, healthy body. You may think you don’t have time to exercise when you are most stressed, but that is exactly when you need it the most. If you are stressed about an assignment, but too nervous to sit down and study—exercise! it restores your body and mind to a calmer and more relaxed state.

When you feel stressed and tense, go for a brisk walk in fresh air.  Try to incorporate exercises into your daily routine without fail, either before or after work, or at lunchtime.  Regular exercises will also improve the quality of your sleep.

4. Get More Sleep

Lack of sleep is a significant cause of stress. Unfortunately, stress interrupts our sleep as our thoughts keep whirling through our heads, stopping us from relaxing enough to fall asleep.
Rather than relying on medication, your aim should be to maximise your relaxation before going to sleep.  

Make sure that your bedroom is a tranquil oasis with no reminders of the things that causes you stress.  Avoid caffeine during the evening, as well as excessive alcohol. Stop doing any mentally demanding work several hours before going to bed so that you give your brain time to calm down. Try taking a warm bath or reading a calming, undemanding book for a few minutes to relax your body, tire your eyes and help you forget about the things that worry you.

You should also aim to go to bed at roughly the same time each day so that your mind and body get used to a predictable bedtime routine.

5. Try Relaxation Techniques

Each day, try to relax with a stress reduction technique.  There are many tried and tested ways to reduce stress, so try a few and see what works best for you. Techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, listening to music, massage are examples of relaxation techniques.

Don’t allow other obligations to encroach, make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, and always remember to keep your sense of humour.

6. Connect with Someone

Stress can cloud your judgement and prevent you from seeing things clearly.
Talking can work by either distracting you from your stressful thoughts or releasing some of the built-up tension by discussing it.

Keep in mind that the people you talk to don’t have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners. And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up. The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust. It will only strengthen your bond.

7. Take Control 

Stress can be triggered by a problem that may on the surface seem impossible to solve. Learning how to find solutions to your problems will help you feel more in control thereby lowering your level of stress.

One problem-solving technique involves writing down the problem and coming up with as many possible solutions as you can. Decide on the good and bad points of each one and select the best solution. Write down each step that you need to take as part of the solution: what will be done, how will it be done, when will it be done, who is involved and where will it take place.

8. Manage Your Time

At times, we all feel overburdened by our 'To Do' list and this is a common cause of stress. Accept that you cannot do everything at once. These are things you can do to achieve a healthier work-life balance:
Don't over-commit yourself
Prioritize tasks
Break projects into small steps
Delegate responsibility

9. Learn to Say ‘No’

A common cause of stress is having too much to do and too little time in which to do it.  And yet in this situation, many people will still agree to take on additional responsibility.  Learning to say “No” to additional or unimportant requests will help to reduce your level of stress, and may also help you develop more self-confidence.

To learn to say “No”, you need to understand why you find it difficult.  Many people find it hard to say “No” because they want to help and are trying to be nice and to be liked.  For others, it is a fear of conflict, rejection or missed opportunities.  Remember that these barriers to saying “No” are all self-created.

10. Rest If You Are Ill

If you are feeling unwell, do not feel that you have to carry on regardless. A short spell of rest will enable the body to recover faster.

"Stress relief Toolbox"

Here is a list of healthy ways to relax and recharge. Try to implement one or more of these ideas each day, even if you're feeling good.

Get a massage

Go for a walk
Spend time in nature
Call a good friend
Sweat out tension with a workout

Write in your journal
Take a long bath
Light scented candles

Savour a warm cup of herbal tea
Play with a pet
Work in your garden
Curl up with a good book
Listen to music
Watch a comedy

Reference

The Road to Resilience – Learn how to increase your resilience, the trait that allows you to bounce back from adversity and stress. (American Psychological Association)

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/stress-tips.html
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.html